Chile: All power against workers strike When you finish this writing, members of the union of industrial paper company just started a hunger strike.
By Andres Figueroa Cornejo
Amid a summer rain Santiago bombarded by intrusive and tremors that resemble a year after the earthquake-tsunami February 2010, nearly 200 union workers Papers Industriales SA (PISA) is by its 50-day strike at the company's refusal to meet Minimum wage demands. PISA
born in 1979, processing imported papers for the printing industry. In 1989 he went to compete in the market through its brands Roll, Cool, No End, DRY and Real. In the 90's, launched PISA Favorite napkins, and "later incorporated into the brand of toilet paper, paper towels, handkerchiefs and facial, to form the great family favorite." Since 1995, concentrates almost 50% of services in bathrooms and workspaces. In 2001, the company, led by a "spirit (of) anticipation of competition and take over the Private Label market, produces diapers Naturell brand. The corporation, in 2003, called the attention "of SCA, the largest paper in Europe and together decided to form a powerful alliance."
The union president, Hugo Pinilla Maldonado reported that "major shareholders are, with 50% of them, SCA, a leader in Sweden in the manufacturing sector products, and Gabriel Ruiz Tagle, Deputy Sports (Chiledeportes) the current government, with the remaining 50% stake. " Gabriel Ruiz Tagle took office on 11 March last year and was formerly the principal shareholder of Black and White, manager of the football club COLO COLO, and its chairman between 2007 and 2010. Not sufficient, "the company has a direct relationship with the current government," says Hugo Pinilla, and chief operating officer of PISA is Eduardo Morel, nephew of the wife of Sebastián Piñera.
The state government and the television media
Few knew of the strike. No news has the height and the exclusive resorts of the Italian soccer great goals. However, on Tuesday 8 February, central news media that dominate the screen in the little country where freedom of press and information is worthless and dead letter, tried to link the strikers with a car accident with the unfortunate result of a deceased child, and a strange fire the main factory warehouse for paper products.
As usual in these latitudes, employers bear responsibility for events to a group of workers. However, the labor lawyer Nury Fuentes notes that the defendants "are formalized by disturbances in the street and they were given a precautionary measure signing Monthly and national roots. But it was found irrefutably that have no connection with the fire that resulted in the company, since they were arrested when they originated, "adding that" the company spokeswoman, Ximena Manzano has suggested that workers have some collusion in the events , but that we dismiss. In fact the first official reports indicate that, although the fire was intentional, which is not discussed, not from workers. Occurred in the center of the finished goods warehouse and without accelerators, such as Molotov cocktails, which was the first indictment. Now under investigation and none of the workers had the technical or practical possibility entering the business, since there are guards and a tourniquet. In addition, police were inside the factory when the fire started. "
Labour Minister Evelyn Matthei" is not well informed "
's top union leader, Hugo Pinilla, is a mature man and despite the pressures received, does not seem tired. The portal of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Chile is certainly some urgent questions.
- What is most pressing for the union to nearly 50 days into the strike?
"We want to reset the table for dialogue between the union and the company, and seriously, with a resolving power counterpart. The only argument they have used the representatives of the corporation is that they have been given a budget for the negotiation and hence can not get away. "
- And what are the central demands?
"Job security and wage adjustments. In addition to the many accidents that have occurred in the company, on 10 July last year the partner Eduardo Munoz died despite that the company had warned of the risks of their task. Our work takes a lot of experience and training. It is of immense scale operating machinery. We are also requesting an adjustment from 6 to 5.5% adjustment. The administration offers 3.5%. So we are far from a settlement. "
- What are the conditions of workers Remunerated?
"The average monthly salary is $ 320 pesos (U.S. $ 670), in a context of high wage differentiation. The base salary is $ 175 pesos (U.S. $ 370), and 50% of workers get $ 220 000 pesos a month (U.S. $ 460). "
- What has been the conduct of labor institutions of the state?
"At this point in Paper Industry are working in shifts 12 hours a day, in violation of applicable laws. In this regard, the Labour Inspectorate has all audits in custody, arguing that when the strike ends, maybe it sent supervisors. "
- What has been the treatment of communication that has been mobilized?
"Unfortunately, the strike became known through television Tuesday February 8, the strike voted on December 27 of last year, when he died a 11 year old girl in a car accident on the Pan, an hour after the occupation of that avenue for workers had been dissolved by Special Forces of Carabineros. The TV tried to link the tragedy with our movement, having nothing to do. The same day the fire occurred in the cellar of the factory that the television media tried awarded to the union, when after a police investigation, was ruled out the participation of our organization. We do not want to ruin the work source. Moreover, as from the first day of the strike has been Police presence at the factory, she knows that our marches and demonstrations have been highly organized and responsible. The point is that the media have come up to us. "
- What steps have been made so far?
"We have requested to mediate in the conflict Archbishop Ezzati, the same as the" magallanazo. " We have been too many days in the strike and we have been unfairly blamed for serious matters. The situation is complicated, because we go two months without pay "
Pinilla
Hugo relates that on the morning of February 11" we accidentally with the Labour Minister, Evelyn Matthei, as we drove to the Plaza de Armas. We asked if we were involved in the fire. Obviously we told the truth and had nothing to do. No one should be a fire. How do we want to return to work for a company destroyed? The minister told us strangely Matthei the Labour Inspectorate had been informed that we had requested that that entity does not get involved in the conflict until it was solved. Here we inform you that the opposite has occurred. There's been anti-union practices and intimidation of the company that we have reported on the Labour Inspectorate. It was not well informed Minister ... "
Pinilla, before returning to their partners reported that" we are a union and so many running of the strike we have encountered with real powers. The company having with officials of government relations, she felt protected and hard to impose an unsatisfactory contract workers. In fact, blocking communication we have suffered, they just broke to try to partner with one death and a fire where we did not have any proven involvement is proof of that. We went on television as if we are vandals, and think deeply while saying that "the thing is difficult for workers in the country. The Directorate of Employment and labor laws unfavorable for the worker. Enough is enough that we are supportive of unions. The company, in our case, wants to dismantle our organization. Imagine what is done where there are no unions. We must regain the Unitary Workers Central (CUT) to actually protect us. "
When you finish writing this note, PISA workers have just begun a hunger strike. The statement is shown below. For those wishing to show solidarity with the families of employees without pay for nearly two months with cash or kind, must contact the email sindicato2pisa@gmail.com
"1. Today the trade union of Pisa in a legal strike, workers represented by 16 volunteers and two leaders began a hunger strike at the Metropolitan Cathedral, with the ultimate goal of lobbying for the restoration of the negotiating table.
2. As the company before the meeting with the negotiating committee, has requested the suspension of the strike during the negotiations remain to be restarted in the event.
3. This policy as an act of good faith agreed to suspend the strike until Tuesday at 00:00 hrs. Moment not to get the positions and end the conflict, we will begin the hunger strike, this time without interruption and indefinite. "
February 11, 2011
